Whenever a prominent prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a demand for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of followers with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- Popular arranging title got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles in the world maintaining this status for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
